Tom Henderson

Tom Henderson set up ShelterBox Trust to provide humanitarian aid worldwide in the form of shelter, warmth, dignity and comfort for people displaced by natural and other disasters. Tom Henderson & ShelterBox have helped an estimated 700,000-plus people in 50 countries, responding to more than 75 different emergencies.

Tom is an ex-Royal Navy search-and-rescue diver and a member of the Rotary Club of Helston Lizard, which in 2000 was casting around for a worthwhile Millennium charitable project. Tom brought his idea for ShelterBox in front of the Club. He had assembled the first one of these now iconic green boxes and presented his concept of a consistent fundamental aid package for those affected by natural and other disasters. A brilliant but simple idea.

Aid is sent in ‘ShelterBoxes’, costing an average of £490. Each holds a 10-person tent and other essential equipment to help an extended family survive for at least six months. Volunteer teams deliver boxes in the field to ensure aid reaches those who need it. A worldwide network with communication hubs near every potential disaster site via Rotary International allows ShelterBox to respond within 72 hours of a disaster anywhere in the world.

Tom’s idea came to fruition very quickly. Partner arrangements soon existed with suppliers adding even more value to the product. If items were not commercially available, Tom simply invented them or modified existing products and set them into production for quantities required. In January 2001, the first 143 ShelterBoxes were flown to earthquake-ravaged Gujarat, India. By late 2004 Tom’s project had distributed around 2000 boxes to disasters around the world. He had raised over £1million in aid and assisted over 20,000 needy people.

The Tsunami on 26 December 2004 was a watershed event. Early successes in delivering aid to the East coast of Sri Lanka led to high media interest and donations increased dramatically. In the following 4 months, ca. £8million of aid were delivered to those in need in the affected regions by trained teams of volunteers. The project had been propelled onto the world stage and quickly became a major player in the global humanitarian aid field.

Tom rode all challenges such rapid expansion threw at him. He built excellent and fruitful relationships with related institutions and NGO’s operating in the field. He truly galvanized people all across the world into action. By mid 2008 Tom has raised and distributed over £25million in aid world wide to 50 countries and assisted an estimated 700,000 plus victims of disaster. Strong productive fundraising affiliates in Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Germany and several other countries are coming on stream. A truly remarkable feat for what started out as a modest charitable concern based in the far South West of Cornwall.

When asked if he is pleased with what he has achieved, he always answers that he would have liked to do more quicker.

“We delivered the first 35 boxes to Jigokri [North Korea]. They’d had over 700mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours and a dam overflowed washing away around 75 houses. Getting the boxes there was a challenge as there were very few trucks available and fuel is very hard to come by … The floods had also washed away the village’s clinic and primary school. Within minutes of the tents going up, the local doctor set up in one…another tent was turned into a classroom for the village children … But the villagers were also amazed by the tools in the boxes. They had very few tools ... For them, being given a new hammer and axe etc was completely unbelievable and will really help them with rebuilding their houses. They’ll need them too … It was cold when we were there and it’ll be well below zero there in a month or so.”

Mark Pearson, ShelterBox photographer

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